Josef Metz, Jr. Born Obersdorf, Austria, 1947 Served in Vietnam, Army, 8th Battalion, 6th Artillery, 1st Infantry Division, Lai Khe, artillery crew member on 155mm towed howitzer, 1969-70
				Cycle of Nam, 1982, oil on canvas, 24.5 x 24.5 in.
		From a letter, 1982: My family immigrated to the United States from Austria in 1957. I was in school until I was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1968. All through my school years, art was my favorite subject and I always had an ambition to become an artist. In the army my duty station was Vietnam. While there, I became a U.S. citizen. My experience in Vietnam was with the 1st Infantry Division, forty miles west of Saigon. There I spent a great deal of time at fire support bases; my longest stay was at Firebase Ge La. Other than being ill at all times, I suffered no permanent physical injuries. As for my returning home, it was a joy. As for my fellow countrymen, I wish they could have supported us more respectfully. My art works about Vietnam have been in the making for some time. Their meaning is difficult for me to state exactly: I can say only that I have needed to express these emotions concerning that period of my life. I would like to feel that I have made a contribution in my art for future generations of Americans, so that they can have a better knowledge of what one artist soldier experienced while serving his country in Vietnam.